Why don’t people view forced conscription/Mandatory Drafting as systemic misandry?
Background for this post: I’m a 19 (turning 20 in 5 months) years old guy in SG who was supposed to serve the military back 2 years ago because I got my letter from the government about requesting me to go for my medical checkup in order to give me a PES grade. Basically they analyse my physical performance from High school (and college because I applied for deferment to pursue further studies) as well as my mental health and all to see if I’m fit for higher level physical training and what not.
I got the second lowest PES which means my physical training and army duties aren’t gonna be too much but it’s not really physical training that bothers me the most. It’s the fact that because I was born a male 20 years ago, it means the government already view me not as a Child but as a future soldier. I already got my first Army letter at 13 asking me to register otherwise there will be consequences so I had no choice regardless…
My college lecturers who are women talk about National service like as if it’s the most casual thing ever and it’s like nothing…which is funny because one of them have a Son and he too in a decade or so will be forced serving the army the same way I would be in around a years time.
Context: Online isnt any better, I see people saying that systemic misandry doesn’t exist. That misogyny is more dangerous than misandry without even realising that systemic misandry is the reason why many men had to die unnecessarily in the first place. When men either talk or complain about this specific issue it’s always redirected to “It’s done by other men and the patriarchy!”
Which is funny because let’s say hypothetically we replace all the government with women, that doesn’t mean forced conscription will vanish because in the end someone has to protect the state and do they think a woman government would send her fellow ladies to the front line? Probably not…unless all governments in the world decide not to cause or engage in conflicts then having my army entirely is just an ideal and not based in reality.
So in conclusion, what can be done then? It’s clear forced conscription has become normalised in my society and probably in other societies like South Korea that it makes sense why there’s no sense of outrage or urgency in dealing with this specific issue because people have already decided that it’s for the greater good to use disposable men’s bodies to keep society running. I’m so tired..